Anterior support device

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a device that supports an individual&#39;s spine while the individual is in a forward bent position. The device includes a padded rest on which an individual could lean while working in a forward bent position and brackets for adjusting the angle, height, and position of the device. Since the individual leans against the rest, the stresses experienced in the lower, middle and upper back are substantially decreased. Reducing such stress decreases the pain experienced by the individual as well as extends his or her productive life.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed generally to a support deviceand specifically to an anterior support device for use in the healthcare industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Many individuals suffer from lower back pain and dysfunctionbrought about by their work environment or other daily activities.Repetitive or prolonged activities can be attributed as a major cause ofthis back pain and dysfunction. Effected individuals must drasticallymodify their work areas in order to continue their jobs. In manyinstances, people must choose another field of employment.

[0003] One such example is dentists. Dentists spend a good deal of theirworkday leaning over patients, in a forward bent position. This positioncontributes to posterior disc dysfunction, which leads to back pain anddisability. For dentists, back pain is one of the leading causes ofearly retirement.

[0004] To alleviate such back pain, some individuals turn to physicaltherapy. Others attempt to support their backs while on the job by usingbraces and cushions that are intended to support the spine in a normal,anatomical position. These devices, however, are designed to support theindividual from the rear and thus are not effective for dentists andsimilar professionals who must be in a forward, bent position as afundamental part of their work.

[0005] Thus, there is a need in the art for a device that supports anindividual's spine while the individual is in a forward bent position.

[0006] There is a further need in the art for a device that decreasesthe stress on the lower, mid, and upper back experienced by anindividual while in a forward bent position.

[0007] There is yet a further need in the art for a device that extendsthe productive life of individuals who perform repetitive or prolongedactivities as part of their employment or daily activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention meets the needs of the prior art byproviding a device that supports an individual's spine while theindividual is in a forward bent position. The device includes a paddedrest on which an individual could lean while working in a forward bentposition and brackets for adjusting the angle, height, and position ofthe device. Since the individual leans against the rest, the stressesexperienced in the lower, middle and upper back are substantiallydecreased. Reducing such stress decreases the pain experienced by theindividual as well as extends his or her productive life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in use witha dentist's chair.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention in use with a desk.

[0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate attachment for theembodiment of FIG. 3.

[0013]FIG. 5 is a partially exploded, perspective view of anotheralternate embodiment of the present invention for use in activities suchas gardening.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a partially exploded, perspective view of the couplerused in the present invention.

[0015]FIGS. 7a and 7 b are perspective views of the telescoping featureof the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a partially exploded, perspective view of the couplingand locking mechanisms of the present invention for use with a dentist'schair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] As depicted in the figures, the device 10 of the presentinvention generally includes a padded rest 12, an angled bracket 14, andan upright bracket 16. The padded rest 12 may pivot with respect to theangled bracket 14. This pivoting is enabled due to the presence of asingle or multi-axial pivot device 19, as depicted in FIG. 2.

[0018] As can be best seen from FIG. 2, the bracket 14 extends at anangle from the upright bracket 16 so that the rest 12 is positioned tosupport the practitioner near the patient. To accomplish this, a coupler18 is provided between the angled bracket 14 and the upright bracket 16to allow the rest 12 to be tilted in any direction. Once the angularposition of the bracket 14 with respect to the upright bracket 16 isadjusted to the desired position, the coupler 18 locks the angledbracket 14 in that position.

[0019] Preferably, the coupler 18 takes the form of a ball swivel 20with a screw friction lock 22, as shown in detail in FIG. 6. Thefriction lock 22 comprises a retainer 23 into which the ball end of thebracket is inserted and a screw tightener 24 for locking the bracket inthe desired position.

[0020] Brackets 14 and 16 may be adjustable in length so that thedistance of the rest 12 from the patient can be varied. Although thefigures depict both brackets as adjustable in length, the presentinvention contemplates having only one adjustable bracket. To enablethis adjustability, at least one of the brackets 14, 16 comprises afirst bracket member 28 carrying a spring-loaded pin lock 35 and asecond bracket member 30 including a plurality of adjusting holes 34.The details of this feature can be seen in FIGS. 7a and 7 b. The firstmember 28 mates with, and telescopes with respect to, the second member30. This telescoping allows the overall height of the respective bracketto be adjusted. Once the desired height of the bracket is obtained, thepin 35 springs into one of the holes 34 of the second bracket member 30,as shown in FIG. 7a. The pin 35 functions to lock bracket member 28 atthe desired height with respect to bracket member 30. Thus, the overallheight of the device can be varied by adjusting the length of one orboth the brackets 14, 16.

[0021] Although not shown in FIGS. 7a and 7 b, member 28 is providedwith two spring loaded pin locks 35, one on each side of the member.Similarly, member 30 is provided with two sets of adjusting holes 34,the sets being 180 degrees apart. Therefore, the member 28 is held atthe desired height by the interaction of both pin locks 35 with theirrespective set of adjusting holes 34. This further ensures that thebracket remains at the desired height.

[0022] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower end of the bracket 16is operatively coupled to a track 37 positioned adjacent the base of thedental chair 38. Referring to FIG. 8, the lower end of the bracket 16may be provided with a slide plate 40 for coupling or riding along thetrack 37, the slide plate 40 including raised locking pins 41. Thecoupling of the bracket 16 along the track 37 allows the device to bemoved along the base of the chair 38.

[0023] To lock the bracket 16 in the desired position along the track37, a foot-controlled lock 42 is provided. Lock 42 comprises aspring-loaded locking bar 43 and a pivot mounting 46. The locking bar 43includes a series of locking holes 44 and a footplate 45 extending fromthe bar. When the bracket 16 is in the locked position, the locking bar43 is positioned above the slide plate 40, with the locking holes 44engaging the raised locking pins 41 of the slide plate 40. To releasethe bracket 16 from the locked position, the professional steps down onthe footplate 45, thereby causing the locking bar 43 to pivot about themounting 46. This pivoting further results in the locking pins 41disengaging the locking holes 44. The bracket 16 can now be moved to anew position along the track 37. To lock the bracket 16 in the newposition, the professional merely releases the footplate 45. Thefootplate 45 is biased into contact with the slide plate 41, the holes44 again engaging the pins 41. Thus, the position of the device 10 maybe changed to accommodate the preference of the professional or theparticular patient.

[0024] The padded rest 12 can be used by a professional such as adentist or a dental hygienist to lean over a patient while working onthe patient. Since the back of the professional is supported while inthis bent position, the stress experienced by the professional in his orher lower, mid, and upper back is reduced. Because the source of thesupport is anterior, the professional can assume any degree of forwardlean to accomplish the required task and still be supported.

[0025] Due to bracket 14, the padded rest 12 can be tilted in anydirection to accommodate a particular body type or gender. The amount ofpadding is variable to allow the professional to change the contactpoints of the rest. Depending upon the comfort and preference of theprofessional, the rest may contact the professional in the abdominal,chest, or anterior shoulder areas.

[0026] To use the present invention, the professional adjusts the angleof the bracket 14, the height of the bracket 14 and/or bracket 16, andthe position of the bracket 16 with respect to the dental chair 38. Thenthe professional can lean forward against the rest 12, while working onthe patient. Alternately, the professional can sit in a chair and leanagainst the rest 12 to work on the patient. Because the professional isallowed to lean against the rest 12, the back stresses experienced bythe professional are reduced.

[0027] The present invention is not limited to use in the dentalsetting. Such a device may be beneficial in other fields in whichindividuals spend much of their day in the forward bent position. Forexample, a lab technician who spends much of the day leaning over abench could benefit from the present invention. In addition, the presentinvention may be helpful to others, such as individuals who lean forwardover a countertop, desktop or workbench during the course of the day.

[0028] For example, FIG. 3 depicts an alternate embodiment 48 of thepresent invention in use with a desk, table or workbench 50. Theembodiment 48 generally comprises a padded rest 52 and an uprightbracket 54. To adjust the angle of the rest 52, a ball swivel (notshown) with a screw friction lock (not shown), as depicted in FIG. 6, isprovided between the rest 52 and the bracket 54. The bracket 54 is alsoprovided with the telescoping feature of FIGS. 7a and 7 b, therebymaking it adjustable in height. To allow the horizontal position of thebracket 54 with respect to the desk 50 to be adjusted, the lower end ofthe bracket 54 is provided with a slide member 62 and the desk 50 with atrack member 64. The slide member 62 rides along the track member 64 ina conventional manner. To lock the bracket 54 in a certain positionalong the track 64, a friction lock 68 is engaged. Alternately, thelower end of the bracket 54 may be provided with a “C-clamp” type mount70, as shown in FIG. 4. Such a clamp 70 along with a ball joint pivotwould mount the device directly to the edge of the desk or workbench 50.

[0029]FIG. 5 depicts yet a further embodiment 80 of the presentinvention for use in gardening or activities involving kneeling. Such adevice may include a padded rest 82, a vertical adjustable bracket 84,and a footplate 86 at the lower end of the bracket 84. The padded rest82 may also include a neck or shoulder strap 88 for carrying the device,thereby allowing the user to change positions without the use of hishands.

[0030] The device may be provided with a coupling 90 between the rest 82and the bracket 84 to vary the angle of the rest 82 with respect to thebracket 84. In addition, a coupling 92 may also be provided between thebracket 84 and the footplate 86. These couplings may take the form of aball swivel with a screw friction lock, similar to that shown in FIG. 6.The bracket 84 may also be provided with the telescoping feature, shownin FIGS. 7a and 7 b, to allow the height of the bracket 84 to beadjusted.

[0031] While the invention has been described in connection with certainembodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limitthe invention to these particular embodiments. To the contrary, it isintended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalentsfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A support device for use with a dental chair comprising: a restagainst which a user can lean to relieve back stress; an angled bracketoperatively coupled at a first end to the rest; and an upright bracketoperatively coupled at a first end to the angled bracket and at a secondend to a base of the dental chair, wherein the brackets enable an angleof the rest, a height of the rest, and a position of the rest withrespect to the chair to be adjusted.
 2. The support of claim 1 whereinthe rest includes padding.
 3. The support of claim 2 wherein an amountof padding can be adjusted.
 4. The support of claim 1 wherein the angledbracket extends at an angle with respect to the upright bracket.
 5. Thesupport of claim 4 further comprising a coupler between the angledbracket and the upright bracket that allows the angled bracket to extendat a variable angle with respect to the upright bracket.
 6. The supportof claim 5 wherein the coupler includes a ball swivel and a screw lockto lock the angled bracket in a desired angled position.
 7. The supportof claim 1 wherein a length of the angled bracket is adjustable.
 8. Thesupport of claim 1 wherein a length of the upright bracket isadjustable.
 9. The support of claim 1 further comprising a trackprovided adjacent the base of the dental chair, the second end of theupright bracket being operatively coupled to the track.
 10. The supportof claim 9 wherein the second end of the upright bracket is providedwith a slide plate for cooperating with the track to vary a position ofthe support with respect to the dental chair, the slide plate includinga plurality of locking pins.
 11. The support of claim 10 furthercomprising a foot-controlled lock for locking the upright bracket in adesired position along the track.
 12. The support of claim 11 whereinthe foot-controlled lock comprises a spring-loaded locking bar and apivot mounting.
 13. The support of claim 11 wherein the locking barincludes a series of locking holes and a footplate extending from thebar, the locking holes engaging the locking pins of the slide plate whenthe upright bracket is in the locked position.
 14. The support of claim1 wherein at least one of the brackets further comprises a first bracketmember and a second bracket member, the first bracket member mates with,and telescopes with respect to, the second bracket member.
 15. Thesupport of claim 14 wherein the second bracket member is provided with aplurality of holes.
 16. The support of claim 15 wherein the firstbracket member is provided with a spring-biased pin for interacting withone of the holes of the second bracket member to lock the bracket at adesired length.
 17. A support device for use with a desk comprising: arest against which a user can lean to relieve back stress; and anupright bracket operatively coupled at a first end to the rest via acoupler and at a second end to a surface of the desk, the coupler allowsthe rest to extend at an angle with respect to the upright bracket. 18.The support of claim 17 wherein the coupler includes a ball swivel and ascrew lock to lock the rest in the desired angled position.
 19. Thesupport of claim 17 wherein the height of the upright bracket isadjustable.
 20. The support of claim 17 wherein the second end of thebracket is provided with a slide member that rides along a track memberprovided on the desk.
 21. The support of claim 20 wherein the slidemember further includes a friction lock to lock the bracket in a certainposition along the track.
 22. The support of claim 17 wherein the secondend of the bracket is provided with a mount for mounting the supportdirectly to the desk.
 23. The support of claim 22 wherein the mount is aC-clamp type.
 24. A support device comprising: a rest against which auser can lean to relieve back stress, the rest including a body strapfor carrying the device; an upright bracket operatively coupled at afirst end to the rest via a first coupler and at a second end to afootplate via a second coupler; and a footplate coupled to the secondend of the upright bracket via the second coupler, the first and secondcouplers allowing the rest and the upright bracket to take variableangular positions.
 25. The support device of claim 24 wherein eachcoupler includes a ball swivel and a screw lock.
 26. The support deviceof claim 24 wherein the height of the upright bracket is adjustable.